The Senator representing Kogi West Senatorial District at the National Assembly, Senator Karimi Sunday, Tuesday, submitted a petition against the nomination of former Governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai, as a minister by President Bola Tinubu.

The Senator, a member of the All Progressives Congress, called the attention of the Senate to the petition when El-Rufai appeared before the Red Chamber for screening.

According to Karimi, the petition against El-Rufai bothered on security, unity and cohesiveness of Nigeria as a nation. The Senator would proceed to submit a copy of the petition to the Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin, who was presiding over the screening exercise.

“Your performance in any office you find yourself has been outstanding. In BPE, your record is there; in FCT as a Minister, your record is there; and as a two term Governor of Kaduna State, you did well.

“But I have a very strong petition against you that bothers on security, unity and cohesiveness of Nigeria nation and I think that petition has to be considered along on this screening exercise,” Karimi submitted.

The petition was however ignored by the Senate as many Senators who were recognized to ask questions requested El-Rufai to take a bow and go.

Responding, the Deputy Senate President said, “…and Karimi you came forward with …I do not know whether you followed the normal something but whatever is the case, this is an opportunity for nominees to explain, showcase themselves. Late, we come to conformation approval.”

El-Rufai’s attempt to address the petition was rejected by many Senators who shouted ‘don’t worry’, ‘no’, etc. while a staff of the national assembly was seen switching off the microphone from the podium where the nominees stand.

The Senate President, Senator Godswin Akpabio who has returned to his seat at this time, revealed that he had also received other petitions in respect of other nominees, adding that they were not formal petitions before the Senate.

According to him, such petition would be referred to ‘nominating agencies’ and appropriate security agencies to be advised.

He said, “Distinguished colleagues, perhaps I should inform you that I have received petitions from many other people in respect of other nominees, but this is not where we are to deal with petitions, our job here is to screen and then we can refer petitions to where petitions are delt with.

These are the nominees of Mr President, if it is a formal petition before the Senate, we would look at it formally, but there are certain petitions we have to refer to the presidency of security agencies to look at.

“I think by the time we are going to the issue of confirmation and approval; we will be so advised. I want to plead with my brother to take a bow, don’t bother about… (the petition).

“Distinguished Colleagues, if anybody has a petition against any nominee, please drop it with me or drop it with the leader of the Senate. These are not our nominees, these are presidential nominees and accompanying each nominee should actually be security report which is not for the consumption of the public and we can not use a public forum like this to constitute ourselves to a court, asking questions about petitions.

“But if the petitions are substantial, we refer it to the appropriate authorities and then, we will be so advised.”

El-Rufai’s nomination has been opposed by some individuals and group, part of whom is a coalition of Quranic Reciters, Memorizers and Learners, who asked his name to be removed from the list.

At a press conference in Bauchi on Sunday, the Director of Education for the Sheikh Dahiru Usman Bauchi Foundation, Sheikh Sidi Ali, appealed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to yank off El-Rufai’s name on the list.

The cleric said, “We have seen the name of the former Kaduna State Governor Mallam Nasir ElrufaI, a man that openly showed his hatred for Qur’anic students when he went to the House of Maulana Sheikh Dahiru Bauchi and evacuated hundreds of students with teargas late in the night in his effort to stop learning and memorization of the Holy Quran.”